Government, AB

Students majoring in Government acquire theoretical and practical knowledge concerning many different dimensions of politics. Courses are located in one or more subfields: American government, comparative government, international relations, and political theory. Through a variety of methodological approaches, students develop the ability to engage in different forms of rigorous causal and logical analysis, along with proficiency in research and communication skills.

Integrated Writing Requirement

In order to graduate, all students in the College complete an Integrated Writing Requirement that demonstrates their ability to research and write according to the standards of their major field.

Government majors acquire and practice a variety of political science research methods and writing skills across the introductory courses in the major. Through short- to medium-length assignments, they gain experience in writing data-analytic papers, policy briefs, comparative case studies, and argumentative and persuasive essays.

To fulfill the College’s Integrated Writing Requirement, students complete a “Department Seminar,” searchable by attribute. In a Department Seminar, majors engage in a longer individual research and writing project (generally 25-50 pages or a series of interrelated essays of 10-15 pages each) in conjunction with assigned readings and discussion. Students may take more than one Department Seminar.

Government Honors

The Government Honors Program is an intensive, three-semester program of closely mentored research and writing that culminates in a Senior Honors Thesis.

A call for applications from interested juniors is issued in the fall. The Honors Program begins in the spring semester of junior year. Note: Students studying abroad in the spring of their junior year are not eligible for the Honors Program.

Prerequisites for the program include a declared government major, completion of the four foundational courses, full-time enrollment, and a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall and in government courses. 

In the initial semester, students take an advanced seminar in Political Theory—which satisfies the requirement for a second political theory course in the major—and a course focused on the analysis of political data. Students prepare a thesis proposal in the fall of their senior year, in the Honors Research Seminar, and complete the thesis, in a three-credit tutorial with their mentor, in the spring. The thesis satisfies the requirement for a Department Seminar. All four required Honors courses count as electives for the major.  

Students defend their work in an oral examination at the conclusion of their last semester. Those the faculty deem to have succeeded in writing an Honors quality thesis receive Honors in the major at graduation.

More Information

For more information about the requirements for a major or minor in Government, please visit the Government Department website.